


Byounin

by Estirose



Category: Kamen Rider Kuuga
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-09
Updated: 2013-07-09
Packaged: 2017-12-18 04:40:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/875739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Estirose/pseuds/Estirose
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Godai is sick. Ichijou tries to help.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Byounin

Ichijou watched Godai pace. He wasn’t sure what to do with the other man, other than make sure he didn’t go out. Dr. Tsubaki had been strict on that, and Tsubaki was the only one who really knew how Godai’s body and Godai’s belt interacted with each other. That was a problem, of course, given that they couldn’t extract the belt from his body.The only reason Godai wasn’t still in hospital was that he had a bad tendency to wander off and fight the nearest ULF, the Unidentified Life Forms that had been plaguing Tokyo. So Tsubaki had left him in Ichijou’s care, on the theory that one undistracted police officer could do far better at keeping Godai out of trouble than anybody at a busy hospital.

Fortunately, his superiors had finally accepted that Godai was on their side, despite being mistaken initially for one of the ULFs himself, so when he had explained Tsubaki’s reasoning, they had let him off to keep an eye on their greatest weapon against the ULFs. Now only said weapon would lie down and rest, like he was supposed to.

“Godai, lie down,” he said with some exasperation.

“Hm?” Godai asked, being typical Godai, distracted and irrational and… Ichijou wasn’t sure how to describe the young man other than “insane”.

“Dr. Tsubaki said to rest,” he said firmly, trying his best “I am a police officer, listen to me” tone of voice.

“Oh.” Godai picked up a magazine, riffling through it.

Ichijou bit back a sigh. Tsubaki had enough scans and samples, or at least he thought, to figure out how to kill off whatever the latest ULF had infected Godai with.

He wished that Tsubaki could coax the belt out of Godai’s body, saving the civilian from being put in such dangerous situations. This wasn’t the first time he’d found Godai dehenshined and unconscious somewhere.

At least if one of the police could wear it, there would be less problems. No having to take Godai to Tsubaki because of either what the ULFs or his belt had done to him. Godai was a civilian, someone to be protected, not somebody to be put in danger because he’d put on an ancient artifact.

Which was why he was keeping a strong eye on his charge today. Godai didn’t seem to understand resting or letting his body heal. Especially with the ULF still out there. Ichijou wondered if he should have asked for sleeping pills, and then remembered that the belt had made Godai not completely human. Who knew what medication might have an effect on the younger man?

Godai finished with the magazine and picked up one of Ichijou’s books. “Godai.”

But Godai was still ignoring him. Maybe he’d tire out eventually and go to sleep, but in the meantime, he had to make sure Godai didn’t henshin. He’d been careful; he’d hidden the ‘key’ to Godai’s bike and unplugged his radio, television, and computer. He only hoped it would keep Godai out of trouble.

Godai abandoned the book, apparently deciding instead to watch the world out the window. “Godai, you need to rest,” Ichijou said, in vain hope that the other would listen. “We can do without you for a day.”

“But you’ll get called if there’s any trouble.” Godai’s voice carried a calm certainty that Ichijou didn’t like at all.

“Yes,” Ichijou said. “They’ll call me if they need me.” He knew that his superiors would have prohibited any calls to him, knowing Godai all too well.

“Are you sure of that?” Godai asked, almost lazily. Ichijou wondered if they should have told Godai straight out that henshining would probably kill him.

“Yes,” Ichijou said simply.

“Something doesn’t feel right,” Godai casually insisted, still staring out the window.

“Godai, you need to rest. Remember? Dr. Tsubaki said that you could leave the hospital only if you rested.”

The other man continued to ignore him in favor of the window.

Ichijou decided that as long as Godai didn’t try to bolt through the door that if Godai wanted to stare at the tree outside, he could stare at the tree outside.Godai had remained watching the tree for quite a few more minutes. Ichijou couldn’t help but wonder if he was losing the silly young man to the artifact inside him.

“Godai?” he asked, hoping once again to get the other man’s attention. “Hm.”

“You need to rest.” He knew that it was futile, probably, but he had to try.

But instead of walking towards Ichijou’s bedroom and bed, Godai walked towards the front door.

“Godai, no! You’re sick!” Ichijou almost yelled, catching Godai by the shoulder. He attempted to steer him into bed.

“Something’s wrong,” Godai said, half to him and half to the door.

“Yes,” Ichijou informed him. “You’re sick. You need rest. Remember.”

“Not that,” Godai replied, still staring at the door as if it held the answers. Ichijou could see Godai’s hand twitched and thanked everything that Godai was not a violent man. At least not in human form.

“Yes, that. The poison – the virus – must be making you think there’s something going on. But there isn’t.”

Godai turned around to look at him blankly. Ichijou used the moment to swing the younger man towards the bedroom.

As they walked down the hallway, Godai seemed to physically tire out. Ichijou pushed Godai faster down the hallway, hoping that the young man’s rapid deterioration would slow down long enough for him to put Godai to bed. Maybe it was that Godai’s natural energy, enhanced by the belt, had finally run out, at least enough to let him start the healing process.

He tumbled Godai onto the bed as Godai collapsed completely, taking off the other man’s slippers and setting them on the floor. Godai looked completely unconscious, similar to how he’d been when some of his Kuuga transformations had physically tired him out.

Godai started to snore lightly. Relieved that Godai seemed to be okay, other than sick with an unknown virus, he pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. “This is Ichijou. How’s the hunt for the ULF going?”

“Sir! We have the ULF cornered about five blocks from where you are? Can you come and help?”

He paused. He knew that he might not make a difference in the fight against the ULFs – few of them could, other than keep them distracted until Godai got there – but he had to try, if only to keep the ULFs from harming more innocent civilians. “I’ll be there. Give me directions.”

She gave him the directions, and he signed off from the conversation, rapidly tracing the fastest route from his house to where the ULF was. He thought about taking the ‘key’ to Godai’s motorcycle, but Godai’s motorcycle wasn’t there anyway.

After putting on his gun and everything he needed, he went back to his bedroom to check once more on Godai, to make sure the other man was still sleeping and wouldn’t get in trouble.

However, his bedroom was empty, the bedroom window open. “Godai!” he yelled, rushing to the window and looking out. The younger man was nowhere to be found.

Ichijou looked wildly around. Godai had to be on foot; he had no way of summoning the TryChaser to him, and so he had to be trying to get to his destination as a pedestrian.

On the other hand, if Godai had overheard the conversation – and he probably had, give Ichijou’s luck – he was on his way out, following the directions the dispatcher had given Ichijou. Since it was only a five block route, albeit a long five blocks, Godai could easily get there.

Which meant Ichijou had no time to spare. He ran out the door, locking it hastily, and started in the direction of the ULF, hoping to catch Godai along the way.

As he drove, he kept a sharp eye out, but as he came to the site, Godai wasn’t there.

But then again, neither was the ULF. By the time he pulled up, the police were milling about, obviously searching for the creature before it killed any more civilians.

Civilians like Godai, who had no sense at all. At least most civilians didn’t run straight into danger like Godai did.

He demanded a report from one of the nearby police officers, finding that the ULF had indeed gotten away. From the description, it sounded like one of the ones Godai would need Pegasus form for.

Ichijou groaned quietly. The last thing Godai needed was to be in Pegasus form; it was the most demanding form he could take, and he was nearly always out of it at the end. If he normally couldn’t transform for two hours after transforming into Pegasus when in the best of health, what would it do to him now?

He refused to find out. He had to find Godai before Godai found the ULF and changed form.

Asking a few more questions, he headed off in the most likely direction.

It didn’t take him long.

He’d heard that one could die and putrefy in an open field without anybody smelling it fifty feet away. He knew that even battles, if quiet enough, could be missed by the general population, much to the task force’s advantage.

Unless one knew how to listen, and was desperately hoping that the sounds one was hearing was not what was happening.

For if Godai had changed, it would be far too late.

He ran around a corner, and came up short. There were two forms, fighting. One was a blur; the ULF, no doubt.

The other one was Godai.

In Pegasus form.

Ichijou was going to kill him, if the virus or the ULF didn’t kill him first.

Godai was engaging the ULF. He wasn’t doing so well; he had nothing to turn into the crossbow. Sighing internally, Ichijou debated whether to give Godai his gun, or simply try to knock him out.

Still, Godai was dodging all right, so he might be okay for the moment. Either that, or he was running on adrenaline.

Revised plan. Go against every instinct he had, give Godai his gun to tun into the crossbow, hope he’d defeat it, and hope against hope that the virus didn’t kill the insane civilian before Tsubaki could save him at the last minute. Again.

It was so idiotic that Ichijou could only pray that it would work. He rather doubted he could stop Godai now that Godai was in his armor, but once the battle was done, he might have a chance to save him.

“Godai! Catch!”

The armored form turned around and effortlessly caught Ichijou’s gun, and a minute later, had transformed it into the crossbow.

Ichijou stood back, knowing he was now the bystander in this fight. That he, again, had to play the civilian.

It irked him, his instincts screaming for him to dive in, but other, more rational parts of his mind knowing that if he did, he’d likely be killed. And that wouldn’t do Godai any good if he died soon after.

He breathed a sigh of relief as Godai smashed into the ULF, and it exploded shortly thereafter. Godai saluted Ichijou with his usual thumbs up, seemed to wobble….

And collapsed, shimmering into his weakest form, Growing Form, and then back into his own natural form. Ichijou took a quick look, but it seemed the belt had retreated into Godai’s body again.

He dug his cellphone out of his pocket and picked up his gun. Tersely, he ordered an ambulance.

—————

“How is he?” Ichijou asked breathlessly.  
  
His old friend Tsubaki looked at his unconscious patient. “It seems that he burned the virus out of his system before he transformed,” Tsubaki said, looking over at him. “He’s fine now, if exhausted.”  
  
Ichijou breathed an internal sigh of relief.  
  
“He’s still changing, inside,” Tsubaki said. “I’m somehow not surprised that his body killed off the virus.”  
  
Nodding, Ichijou replied, “If we only knew into what….”  
  
Tsubaki gave a slight nod. “I have to return to my other patients. Keep him in bed this time, will you?”  
  
Ichijou quirked one side of his mouth into a slight grin and Tsubaki left.  
  
Pulling up a chair, he waited by Godai’s bedside until the other woke up. He knew his superiors would want his report, but first he had to find out what had happened to Godai.  
  
He was finally rewarded by Godai stretching and opening his eyes, a big smile on his face. Why did Godai always have to seem so cheerful after nearly getting killed once again?  
  
“Godai,” he said slowly, “Dr. Tsubaki’s orders were to stay in bed.”  
  
Godai’s smile became even wider. “I knew I was okay… I could feel it.”  
  
Ichijou looked away, staring at the window. It was the best way not to explode at Godai, who would look at him with a slightly confused look before going back to smiling. Besides, Godai was probably telling the truth; he had felt it, he had known his body was okay, he had known it was okay to transform.  
  
He had just, as usual, forgotten to tell anybody first.  
  
And what if he had? Ichijou knew himself far too well. He’d have hauled Godai back to Tsubaki, Tsubaki would have run tests.  
  
And the ULF would still have been out there, wreaking havoc and killing civilians.  
  
He hated when Godai ran on instincts and thoughts only intelligible to himself. He hated that those thoughts were being influenced by the belt. But at least Godai had been there, knew his own limits.  
  
Maybe Godai knew best.  
  
Most of the time he did.  
  
Ichijou looked at Godai once again. As for those times when he didn’t… well, Ichijou would be there. Keeping him out of trouble.  
  
“Stay,” Ichijou said to Godai.  
  
In response, Godai grinned.  
  
And stayed in bed.  
  
And listened to Ichijou for once.  
  
By the end of the day, even Ichijou was smiling.  
  
-end


End file.
